Declaracion de Los Marginados

Those of us who inhabit these borderlands-the poor, the oppressed, the voiceless, the forgotten, the marginalized segment of society --find a need to come together to proclaim a

collective I y A BAST A!

            We live in two different worlds two distinct realities. In one we see prosperity and a secure El Paso. The other reflects a world where people are marginalized and excluded, are forced to endure poverty , hunger, homelessness, unemployment, neglect, and disdain. Exploitation is part of the system and currently the exploitation is increasing and creating more poverty .We bear the brunt of these social ills. Women and children especially face the challenges of urban survival within the context of an unsympathetic society dominated by oligarchs. Today we say that this condition cannot and must not be allowed to continue. We have come together to condemn the current policies imposed upon us by those in power. These policies have resulted in economic and social inequality for our people. For us, unemployment continues unabated and worsens. But for the callous political and economic elite that rule this city, 10% unemployment rate is an acceptable consequence of capitalism.

This must change and we will make that change happen. For us, the promise of redemption through education has not held true. Public schools have failed us. Our tax monies have

been squandered by self -serving educational leaders with misguided educational policies that have only served to advance careers and push out our youth from the schools. A college

education has become prohibitively expensive and out of reach. The schools belong to the people and they should serve the needs of the people.

As a people, we are despised and labeled as undesirables because we are seen as foreigners. Those in power ignore that we have been here since before the border was changed as an

outcome of war, and disregard the fact that this nation has been built with our blood, sweat, and, tears. We are a proud people with a long history of struggle and we will not sacrifice our dignity without a fight. We will use the rich history of organizing through the Chicano Movement as a model to show us the way to achieve victory through unity. Our common subjugation compels us -workers, students, activists, and community members --to come together in a Movimiento del Pueblo Fronterizo--to unite our collective struggles, to

work as one to improve the lives of nuestra gente.